Overtake past tense

Meaning of overtake

to catch up with and pass while traveling in the same direction.

Infinitive

Word: overtake /ˌoʊvərˈteɪk/

Examples:

1. Cars often overtake slower vehicles on the highway.
2. In the marathon, she manages to overtake her competitor in the last mile.
3. Technology rapidly overtakes previous discoveries with new innovations.

Past Simple

Word: overtook /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/

Examples:

1. The speedy runner overtook the leader just before the finish line.
2. That new technology quickly overtook the old one in popularity.
3. The small startup surprisingly overtook the industry giants in sales last quarter.

Past Participle

Word: overtaken /ˌoʊvərˈteɪkən/

Examples:

1. The runner was overtaken by her competitor just before the finish line.
2. The small business was quickly overtaken by larger corporations in the market.
3. The lead car was overtaken on the final lap of the race.

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Bare infinitive

Routine or habitual actions
Example. I usually overtake slow vehicles when I drive on the highway.
Example. Technology often overtakes traditional methods over time.
General truth or fact
Example. I usually overtake slow vehicles when I drive on the highway.
Example. Technology often overtakes traditional methods over time.

Past Simple

Completed action at a specific time in the past
Example. I overtook the truck on the road yesterday.
Example. He overtook two cars, then slowed down as soon as he entered the town.
Example. In the last race, she overtook her competitor in the final lap.
A series of completed actions in the past
Example. I overtook the truck on the road yesterday.
Example. He overtook two cars, then slowed down as soon as he entered the town.
Example. In the last race, she overtook her competitor in the final lap.
A condition or situation that was true in the past
Example. I overtook the truck on the road yesterday.
Example. He overtook two cars, then slowed down as soon as he entered the town.
Example. In the last race, she overtook her competitor in the final lap.

Past Participle

Perfect tenses to show actions that are complete at the time of speaking or by a specific time in the past or future.
Example. Present Perfect. We have overtaken several competitors this season.
Example. Past Perfect. By the time we got there, our rivals had already overtaken us.
Example. Future Perfect. By next year, we will have overtaken all our main competitors in sales.
Example. The small startup was quickly overtaken by larger companies.
Example. He felt overtaken by a sense of dread as the storm approached.
Passive voice to show that the subject of the sentence is acted upon.
Example. Present Perfect. We have overtaken several competitors this season.
Example. Past Perfect. By the time we got there, our rivals had already overtaken us.
Example. Future Perfect. By next year, we will have overtaken all our main competitors in sales.
Example. The small startup was quickly overtaken by larger companies.
Example. He felt overtaken by a sense of dread as the storm approached.
As an adjective to describe a feeling or condition.
Example. Present Perfect. We have overtaken several competitors this season.
Example. Past Perfect. By the time we got there, our rivals had already overtaken us.
Example. Future Perfect. By next year, we will have overtaken all our main competitors in sales.
Example. The small startup was quickly overtaken by larger companies.
Example. He felt overtaken by a sense of dread as the storm approached.

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Form Usage

A common mistake occurs when learners apply irregular verb patterns to regular verbs. For instance, 'overtake' is an irregular verb with the past simple form 'overtook' and the past participle form 'overtaken'. However, learners often mistakenly apply the regular verb rule by adding -ed to the base form, creating incorrect forms like 'overtaked' for the past simple or past participle. This mistake stems from overgeneralizing the -ed rule for regular verbs without recognizing that 'overtake' follows an irregular pattern.

— 02

Confusing forms

Another frequent error involves confusing the past simple form 'overtook' with the past participle form 'overtaken'. This confusion typically manifests in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions, where the past participle should be used. For example, saying 'I have overtook the car' instead of the correct 'I have overtaken the car'. This mistake can alter the grammatical correctness and clarity of the sentence, as the choice between past simple and past participle affects the sentence structure and tense.

— 03

Misuse in Passive Voice

The past participle 'overtaken' is essential for forming passive voice sentences, yet learners often mistakenly use the past simple form instead. For example, saying 'The car was overtook by the bike' instead of the correct 'The car was overtaken by the bike'. This mistake not only disrupts the grammatical structure but also impacts the sentence's meaning, as the passive voice emphasizes the action's recipient rather than the doer.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'overtake'?

The past simple form of 'overtake' is 'overtook.' This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I overtook a slow-moving vehicle on the highway.'

What is the past participle form of 'overtake'?

The past participle form of 'overtake' is 'overtaken.' This form is often used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, in the sentence 'The cyclist has overtaken the runner,' 'overtaken' is used as part of the present perfect tense.

Can you provide an example of how to use 'overtake' in the past perfect tense?

Sure! In the past perfect tense, 'overtake' is used with 'had' plus the past participle 'overtaken.' An example sentence would be, 'By the time we reached the bridge, the floodwater had already overtaken the lower banks.' This sentence indicates that the action of overtaking by the floodwater was completed before another past action (reaching the bridge).

How is the past participle 'overtaken' used in the passive voice?

In the passive voice, 'overtaken' is used to indicate that the subject of the sentence is acted upon by someone or something else. For example, 'The leading runner was overtaken by a newcomer in the final lap.' In this sentence, the action (overtaken) is performed on the subject (the leading runner) by an agent (a newcomer). This emphasizes the action and the recipient of the action rather than who is performing the action.